FIND OUT ABOUT THE MOST
HILARIOUS WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER IN THE LAKES
// A S P A D E //
Apparently with me, a spade is spade... I guess that means you get what you see... or read in this case... I'm Jo, I love to photograph, I have for a very long time, but only in recent years have I been fully self employed.I specialise in weddings and elopements both here in the UK and overseas. My style is very natural, very relaxed and I love to document events just as I see them maybe with a little direction thrown in. I am based in Ulverston, Cumbria (South Lake District)
// WHERE IT ALL STARTED //
My dad bought me an SLR for my 18th birthday (no, I'm not telling you how long ago that was) I used it a few times, playing around in the Lake District photographing rocks and things. One day, a good few years later, a friend of mine asked me to photograph his wedding.... Obviously I said no, unless he was happy looking like a rock, as that was the extent of my photography expertise (He was bald so I guess he didn’t look too dissimilar to a rock) He kept nagging, so eventually I said yes, blimey, that was a stressful day... BUT.... I loved it! That got the ball rolling and the rest is history. I photographed my first wedding fifteen years ago.
I love every wedding I'm asked to photograph and I learn more and more in every one.
// ME //
I'm an unapologetic, wildly inappropriate, often sarcastic yet deeply passionate 40 year old northerner, a Preston Lass now living in Ulverston, Cumbria with my husband Rich and beautiful toddler son Finn who came into the world with the help of IVF in October 2019. I’m a resilient lass, been through some tough times as we all have but emerged stronger and with a darker sense of humour than I ever would have liked but hey ho, My humour is not for everybody and that’s absolutely fine, I love couples who are similar to me. I'm happiest when I'm on top of a mountain, usually in the Lake District, with a peanut butter sandwich watching the world go by.
Even happier when I have my camera in my hands.
This is my therapy. I love to travel, be it a day trip to Yorkshire or Kathmandu to climb Everest Base Camp. I love cycling, I love National Trust beauty spots, I love exploring our stunningly beautiful country, I love bike rides to Blackpool with my Dad, family meet- in - the - middle hikes in The Peak District, random solo holidays. I love making the most of life, meeting new people, meeting photographers, learning new things, Designing, Gardening, Gin and Tonics, Serial Killer Documentaries, The Walking Dead, Ozark, Coral Lipsticks, 1920’s hairstyles, Big Blue Lincolnshire Skies, Lancashire Rain......just life really... it's pretty cool sometimes.
I have a disgusting and unhealthy obsession with tropical plants, both indoor and outdoor. I will happily starve myself for a week to buy a South African species of palm tree for the garden.
// IS THIS ALL I DO? //
I guess yes now yes! I was a design technology teacher for 7 years and prior to that a graphic designer for 8 years, I worked in the Sportswear industry, marketing/advertising industry and exhibition industry. I was always supposed to go fully self employed from September 2020 but I was propelled into self employment in March 2020 when my maternity pay from school stopped.
Talk about choosing the wrong week to go fully self employed eh! Covid hit and I was suddenly forced to readdress these skills, from downloadable PDF’s, wedding stationery, designing packaging for photographers, learning video and becoming a commercial drone pilot it’s been a busy lockdown period indeed. I also formed a new company with my two creative and talented friends - With Abandon. The Lake District Elopement Collective, where my main role is filmmaker. You can check out work on our website - www.withabandon.co.uk or on instagram - @with.abandon_elopements
It’s now January 2024 and I feel it’s safe to announce I’m through the hardest four years of my life, becoming a mum and shooting 214 weddings since lockdown. It’s been non stop to say the least.
// MY STYLE //
My style is natural, I photograph because I love observing people, not because I love technology. My films aren’t cinematic Hollywood productions but I’m ok with that. If one or two memories are occasionally blurry because I forgot to up my shutter then so be it. I hated having my photos taken on my wedding day, it was awful, but my photographer was amazing. She managed to get some natural shots of us even when I had my Chandler Bing face (Friends - for those of you who are too young to understand!) going on.
The thing I love the most about photography is movement. I get the biggest buzz from snapping a second of movement that tells a story. I love swishing dresses, blowing hair, laughing faces. I finish my art with a classic warm and slightly desaturated feel, I have an issue with greens being too bright, which I know, for an outdoorsy girl is weird, so expect a slightly muted green tone from me.
My photos often look dark, I promise you this is not intentional, I live in Cumbria, It’s a dark moody place.
I try and get my couples to be natural, to interact with each other as if I wasn't there. I try to blend into the wedding party and sit like a weird perve with my 28-300 perve lens (it’s called Pete BTW- Pervy Pete), get people having a laugh and try to capture the day in the most honest and truthful way possible. I believe your wedding day is real, it is not a photoshoot. So although the images are important, what is more important is that you spend time with loved ones, and especially your new soulmate as it goes SO fast! There will naturally be pockets of the day where I take you off as a newly married couple and take photos of you. You will enjoy it, I will make it fun and I will help you with slight direction. I have tricks so please don’t worry.
// MY IDEAL CLIENT //
I hate this term, mainly because it immediately gives the impression that I only shoot a certain look of couple, that’s bullshit. I couldn’t give a monkeys what you look like, my prime ask is that you’re up for a laugh, not going to have an absolute shit fit if the dress gets a bit mucky, you’ll consider doing something a bit different and turning your wedding day on its head. Put yourselves first and have the day you want. Take it from a bridezilla who, 9 years ago, did the wedding for everybody else and in hindsight regretted it. It wasn’t our day, it was a day for everybody else, 24 of those people have since walked from our lives yet the grim reminder is on the stairs every time I walk past the group shot at my parents house. My ideal bride loves a gin, she loves to dance badly and doesn’t really care too much if she makes a complete tit of herself, she’s happy, she smiles, if things go tits up in th emending she shrugs it off and goes “ah well, shit happens” . My ideal groom is a cheeky chap, doesn’t shy from the camera, loves a pint and will happily burst into dancing at a split second. My ideal couple loves travelling, eating out, proper foodies, love a good drink, a culture trip, love the outdoors, love design, art, gogglebox, comedy…. that kinda thing. My ideal couple are straight, gay, bi, young, old, black, white, multicoloured. I literally don’t care. It is important to find the right match with photographer / client relationship. I’m not posh, my face often says what I think, shove me in a stately home surrounded by 120k worth flowers and a 50k dress and it’s completely lost on me. Put me down an alleyway in Manchester next to bins and I’ll make it work.